The Connectivist Classroom

Geoff Cain & Charlene Gore Tacoma Community College

Students unprepared for the technological challenges of school and the workplace
Faculty unprepared for teaching in a connected world
Full online program with little community; students not connected to campus or one another
Faculty teaching technology while trying to teach content

Create an academic and professional network
Teach students how to use the technology early in the program
Teach the students how to create networks
Networks becoming increasingly complex.

No one person will know everything
We can’t teach students for the jobs they will have in five years
The new skill is to create a smart network
Graphic from The Opte Project

Learning and knowledge rests in a diversity of opinions
Learning is a process of making connections
The capacity to know is more important than what is currently known
The ability to see connections is a core skill
Decision making itself is a learning process
Detail from Matt Thorton’s Indra’s Web <http://www.straightblastgym.com/blog/web-indrasnet.jpg>

Students report a greater comfort with technology
Faculty spend less time teaching technology
Students using the tools in other classes
Students creating extensive networks
Graphic by Gail Atkins <http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/indras-net.html>

More student-led learning (Starfish and the Spider)
Roll course out to campus
Larger classes

Brafman, Ori and Beckstrom, Rod A. (2007) The Starfish and the Spider.
<http://www.starfishandspider.com>
Cain, Geoff. (2008). Brainstorm in Progress . <http://cain.blogspot.com>
Includes link to syllabus and the resources below.
Cormier, Dave. (2008). “Rhizomatic Education: Community as Curriculum”
<http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=550>
Dron, J. & Anderson, T. (2007). Collectives, Networks and Groups in Social Software for E-Learning. In G. Richards (Ed.), Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2007 (pp. 2460-2467). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Siemens, George. (2004) “Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age” <http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm>

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The Connectivist Classroom

by Geoff Cain on Oct 15, 2008

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The Connectivist Classroom — Presentation Transcript